Beaming machines



Jan. 14, I964 w H; KIMPTON BEAMING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1961 INVENTOR:

WILL/AM HARRY I/MPTU/Y BY W flfimcy 1964 w. H. KIMPTON ,1

BEAMING MACHINES Filed April 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENfOR: WILL/AM I111??? K/MPTO/l United States Patent Ofifice 3,1113% Patented Jan. 14, 1954 3,1113% BEAMING MAQHINES William H. Kimpton, 22 Aiton Read, Wiimslow, Engimd Filed Apr. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 102,534 11 Claims. (Ci. 28-32) This invention relates to beaming machines or devices, that is to say, apparatus as used in the textile industry for beaming in the production of warp beams or the like.

Beaming machines are generally drum driven by frictional contact of the yarn with a driving drum, the beam being weighted into contact with the drum. In spite of the fact that many modern fibres are damaged by the said frictional contact, the driving drum still provides the most convenient way of obtaining the progressively variable speed of rotation of the beam as the diameter thereof builds up. Gn the other hand, variation of pressure between the drum and beam, which would occur generally if spring loading were employed, is a disadvantage for which reason the retention of weighting systems, either hydraulic or gravity is still the most favoured in spite of the inconvenience of applying and removing the weights when changing the beam.

The object of the present invention is, therefore, an improved beaming machine or device which is simple in construction and provides the possibility of using spring loading for maintaining frictional contact between the driving drum and the yarn on the beam which is not only readily adjustable but applies a uniform pressure between said drum and the yarn throughout beam build-up.

According to the invention a beaming machine or device comprising a beam, mounting means therefor allowing lateral movement of the beam relative to its axis for maintaining contact between the beam and a driving drum during the buildingof the beam, and resilient means connected between the beam and an anchorage for loading or weighting said beam is characterized by means for altering the effective length of the connection between the beam and said anchorage proportional to the lateral movement of the beam during building in such manner as to maintain constant loading of the resilient means, whereby a constant pressure is maintained between the beam and the drum.

The beaming machine or device aforesaid may be further characterized by means for connecting the resilient means to each end of the beam adapted to equalize the load on said ends.

More particularly the means whereby the load applied to each end of the beam may be equalized comprises a differential gear.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in end elevation, a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a section along line 2-2 of REG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical representation of an alter native embodiment in plan view.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a beam 143 is supported, at each end, by an arm 11 pivotally mounted in a bracket 12 by means of a pivot bolt 13, the bracket 12 being secured to a base 14. The base 14 also supports a superstructure, not shown, carrying the shaft 15 of a driving drum 16.

The resilient means comprises a helical compression spring 17 supported between an anchorage 18 and a pivoted lever 19. The compression spring 17 is adapted to be loaded by virtue of an adjustment screw 20 in engagement with a complementarily screw threaded hole in the anchorage 18, said screw 26 carrying a frusto-conical cap-like element 21 at the end thereof, said element 21 engaging the end of the spring.

The resilient means is connected to the beam 10 through a worm screw 22, a worm wheel 23 in engagement therewith, a differential gear assembly 24 and thence to two chain wheels 25a, 25b carrying draw chains 26a, 26b respectively, said draw chains being freely connected, at their remote end-s, to the arms 11 carrying the beam.

The worm screw 22 is carried on a shaft 27 supported in appropriate bearings 28a, 2811, one end of said shaft 27 carrying a clutch plate 29 the other end being freely connected, by means of a gimbal 30, with the upper end of the pivoted lever 19.

The differential gear assembly 24 comprises two sun gears 24a, 24b mounted at the ends of shafts 31a, 31b respectively, the other ends of said shafts carrying chain wheels 25a, 25b respectively, and two planet gears 32a in engagement with said sun gears. Each planet gear 320 is keyed to a shaft 33, said shafts being mounted for rotational motion in bearings 34. Each bearing 34 is located adjacent the end of a support arm 35, the other end of said arm being rigidly secured to the worm wheel 23. The two arms 35 are symmetrically disposed about the centre of the worm wheel 23.

The worm Wheel 23 is mounted in a bearing 36 for free rotational motion about the shaft 3112.

A second clutch plate 37 is mounted adjacent the clutch plate 29 at the end of the worm screw bearing shaft 27, said second plate 37 being driven through gearing represented by reference numeral 3%.

In operation the beam 11 is loaded towards the drum in by means of the compression spring 17, the loading of the spring being adjustable by means of adjustment screw 20.

To start beaming the worm screw 22 is turned back by manipulating the clutch plate 29 until all slack is taken up in the draw chains 26a, 26b respectively and until the clutch plate 29, by reason of resistance to further rotation of the Worm wheel 23, is brought into Contact with the second clutch plate 37. In this position the screw Zii may be adjusted to apply the required pressure between the beam and the driving drum.

As soon as the machine started, the clutch plate 37 turns the clutch plate 29, and with it the worm screw 22, to cause disengagement of the plates.

As the beam 1% builds up, the beam moves transversely of its axis and the chain wheels 25a, 25b are rotated. The tensions in the two chains will be maintained at a constant level by the characteristic action of the diifen ential gear and upon build-up of the beam the worm wheel will be rotated. The worm screw will be moved longitudinally of its axis against the compression of the spring so that the two complementary clutch plates move into contact. Such contact effects rotation of the worm screw to relieve the frictional contact. The pivoted lever 19 therefore remains at all times substantially in the same position relative to the anchorage 18 so that the loading of the spring remains constant.

This preferred embodiment of the beaming machine possesses the very distinct advantage that, since a substantially constant pressure is applied between the beam and the driving drum throughout the whole of the beam build-up, and, further, as the pressure is constant along the full contact length between the two a very uniform beam should be produced.

The constant pressure along the full length of the contact stems from the application of the differential gear arrangement. Any difference in tension between the two draw chains will result in the migration of the planet gears about the sun gears until the tensions are equalised, the displacement of the worm screw resulting from such migration being corrected by the usual action of the clutch arrangement.

As an alternative to the use of a differential gear assembly, referring now to FIG. 3 the worm wheel 23 may be adapted to rotate a single chain wheel 39, said wheel 39 carrying a chain 4i? secured to the centre of a yoke 41, the ends of said yoke being connected by suitable means 42 to corresponding arms which support the beam.

E have found that by using a beaming machine constructed in accordance with t to present invention it is possible to beam to a high degree of accuracy without damaging the yarn.

I claim:

1. A beaming machine comprising a beam, a driving drum in frictional contact with the surface of said beam, mounting means for said beam adapted to allow lateral movement of the beam relative to its axis for maintaining contact between the beam and said driving drum during beam build-up, resilient means connected between the beam and an anchorage and means for varying the eilective length of the connection between the beam and said anchorage proportional to the lateral movement E the beam during build-up in such manner as to maintain constant loading of the resilient means and thus a constant pressure between the beam and the drum, said means for varying the efiective length of connection including a worm wheel adapted to be rotated upon build-up of the beam, a worm in engagement with said worm wheel and adapted for axial displacement upon rotational motion of the Worm wheel, and drive means for rotating said worm upon such axial displacement to return it to an initial position after displacement therefrom.

2. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 1 including further means for ensuring uniform pressure between the driving drum and the beam over the full extent of contact.

3. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said further means comprises a differential gear assembly having two sun gears associated one with each end of the beam and individually adapted to be rotated upon lateral movement of the respective end of the beam and planet gears in mesh with said sun gears and rotatably mounted on fixed supports carried by said worm wheel.

4. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said resilient means includes an adjustment screw whereby the pressure applied to the beam may be varied.

5. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said resilient means comprises a helical compression spring.

6. A beaming machine comprising a beam, a driving drum in frictional contact with the surface of said beam, mounting means for said beam adapted to allow lateral movement of the beam relative to its axis for maintaining contact between the beam and said driving drum during beam build-up, resilient means connected between the beam and an anchorage, means for varying the effective length of the connection between the beam and said anchorage proportional to the lateral movement of the beam during build-up in such manner as to maintain constant loading of the resilient means and thus a constant pressure between the beam and the drum, and means for maintaining a uniform pressure over the full length of contact between the drum and the beam.

7. A beaming machine comprising a rotatable beam, a pivotal mounting arm at each end of said beam adapted to support such beam, a driving drum in frictional contact with said beam, resilient means connected between the beam and an anchorage? and means for varying the effective length of the connection between the beam and said anchorage in proportion to the lateral movement of the beam during build-up whilst maintaining constant pressure over the full extent of contact, between the drum and the beam, said means including a worm-wheel adapted to be rotated upon beam building-up, a worm in engagement with said worm-wheel mounted for axial movement consequent upon rotation of the wheel, a clutch assembly adapted to be engaged upon such axial motion to rotate the worm and return same to an initial axial position thereupon to become disengaged and a differential gear assembly between a worm Wheel and the beam thereby to maintain said constant pressures, the differential gear assembly iriciudin two sun gears each operatively connected with an end of the beam and adapted individually to rotate upon lateral displacement of the respective end of the beam and two planet gears in mesh with said sun cars which are mounted for free rotation in bearings carried by the worm wheel.

8. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said resilient means comprises a helical compression spring, an anchorage to which one end of said spring is connected, at pivoted lever angularly positioned relative to its pivotal axis by said spring, and pivotally attached to the worm such that, upon pivotal motion of the lever under the influence of the spring, axial motion of the worm is effected and vice versa.

9. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 1 including a yoke connected, at points adjacent its ends, to the beam mounting means such that lateral motion of the yoke occurs in correspondence with lateral motion of beam, and connected, at a point intermediate the ends, to the worm in such manner as to effect rotation of the latter upon such lateral motion.

10. A beaming machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said resilient means comprises a helical compression spring, an anchorage to which one end of said spring is connected, 2. pivoted lever angularly positioned relative to its pivotal axis by said spring, and pivotally attached to the worm such that, upon pivotal motion of the lever under the influence of the spring axial motion of the worm is effected and vice versa.

11. A beaming machine comprising a beam, a driving drum in frictional contact with the surface of said beam, mounting means for said beam adapted to allow lateral movement of the beam relative to its axis for maintaining contact between the beam and the said driving drum during beam build-up, said beam being connected to an anchorage by means of a series of interconnected elements, one of said elements being resilient means arranged to urge the surface of said beam against said driving drum, and means for varying the effective length of the elements other than said resilient means proportional to the lateral movement of the beam during build-up whereby the loading of the resilient means remains constant and hence the pressure between the beam and the drum remains constant during build-up.

References t'Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Toole et al. Mar. 21, 1939 

1. A BEAMING MACHINE COMPRISING A BEAM, A DRIVING DRUM IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID BEAM, MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID BEAM ADAPTED TO ALLOW LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE BEAM RELATIVE TO ITS ASXIS FOR MAINTAINING CONTACT BETWEEN THE BEAM AND SAID DRIVING DRUM DURING BEAM BUILD-UP, RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE BEAM AND AN ANCHORAGE AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BEAM AND SASID ANCHORAVE PROPORTIONAL TO THE LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE BEAM DURING BUILD-UP IN SUCH MANNER AS TO MAINTAIN 